Celebrating One Year
Hey Folks. Glad you could make it to my one year bloggiversary. A year ago I started this cheeky blog to help make board gaming look fun and to document my cardboard triumphs. A personal endeavor, to be sure, but one I hope that has encouraged my readership to play more board games. If anything, the fact that I have maintained this hobby for a year is an accomplishment. The only other hobbies of mine with that kind of staying power are depression and problematic drinking!
Let’s look back on some of my favorite moments of the past year:
Do You Have What It Takes? — One of my earliest posts, and one of my best. This was a session report of a Pandemic game that happened in the nascency of my board gaming experience. I thought it was pretty funny and unfortunately the effort required to pen something this interesting seems to have left me in future posts!
Slice of Humble Pie — This is a notable post for the hilarious use of the Cat Pic Interlude. Also notable because I lost a lot that night. This will be a good one to go back and read if ever I am feeling too grand.
Happy Birthday Jeff: An Interview — I picked Jeff’s brain on board games to hilarious results. Also interesting because we realized just how many games he had played with me. Impressive for someone who is beset by rage when confronted with a board game.
Manoeuvre: Games 10, 11 and 12 — One of my favorite 2011 memories was the Manoeuvre tournament Annie and I started. I wrote two very detailed session reports of these outings that proved to be mildly popular on BoardGameGeek. Rereading this made me hungry for Pizza Luce and Manoeuvre.
First Plays of Resistance — Nothing will compare to the first time I played the Resistance in Jen’s apartment. So many great moments as we chanced upon strategies and ways to throw people off. Was a really great moment and indicative of why board games are so important—no electronics necessary for a fantastic time with your friends.
Sunday Gaming at Kassie’s — Another shout-out to board gaming (and, I guess, twitter)’s ability to bring people together. Kassie and I met over the internet and I am so lucky for it. Not only did I eat some fantastic soups, but Kassie and her Sunday gaming group have been game for literally anything I bring over. I have never met a group so flexible in what they are willing to play and it’s always a good time. Also notable: the six hour drunk fest of Through the Ages.
Ketchup! A Review —Ketchup was one of my most played games over the past year, and Nate Bentley is one of my most beloved ludocrats so I simply had to give his brother’s game a special shout out. Still a great game, and still one Jeff is willing to suggest and play.
My Birthday — Two games of Caylus and many bottles of champagne—could a birthday be any better? I had a fantastic time and was so grateful to all the Ludocrats who were willing to show up hungover and play games with me on my birthday. I am forcing an annual tradition around it as I seem to have a birthday every year.
1st Minneapolis Abstract Gaming Day — This was an awesome tradition(? this reminds me to see if Marty is up for organizing it again, and soon) that was started by a BGGer that I had to get in on. Notable for the three simultaneous GIPF games going on AND the fact that a Brekke-Look-a-like was there.
Dominant Species — By far one of my most favorite games, and one of the best times I had playing it even though I got last by a mile. The pictures from this post are my most thumbed on BGG and were featured on the C3i Ops website. That was a pretty cool feeling.
That Time We Were On Shut Up and Sit Down — After dabbling in videography (and, no, I won’t link to our Belfort or Hansa Teutonica videos for your sake), I responded to a request for Foreign Gamers from a Quaint Land that the boys of SU&SD made. Annie and I are obsessed with that show and were honored/overwhelmed to be a part of it. Filming our segment was an experience to remember to say the least.
Celebrating One Year — Notable for being very self-aggrandizing and meta! Thanks for joining me on this retrospective.
